Legend of the Ice Drakes
by Hindower
Summary: What if Ash was raised by Dragon-types? Not normal ones, but those who possess the Ice Drake bloodline? A traumatizing accident leaves Ash to be raised by said Pokémon, and eventually he uses what he has learned from them in his own journey across Sinnoh. Overpowered/Intelligent Ash, Eventual Harem, and Dragon/Aura Powers. Rated T for mild violence and suggestive themes.
1. Ends Lead to Beginnings

**Legend of the Ice Drakes**

 **Chapter 1: Ends Lead to Beginnings**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything that it incorporates.**

 **Author's Note: This is the rewritten version, and technically still my first fanfic. One thing I found from rereading it was that it is best to read it at a slow or medium pace. It just allows you to understand what's going on better, gives you more time to imagine the scenes play out in your mind, and overall gives a better reading experience. Just something to take note of while you read, that's all. Enjoy!**

"Speech."

 _'Thoughts.'_

* * *

"We'll take the Remoraid sushi and soy sauce, please," Delia Ketchum said to the flight attendant. She was currently on a plane flying over the Sinnoh region with her only son, five-year-old Ash Ketchum.

"No problem, ma'am." The young flight attendant put the requested dish onto the tray in front of Delia before going to the next passenger.

"Try some, Ash," Delia suggested as she picked up a piece using chopsticks. The young boy's response was to pull back his head at the sight of the raw Pokémon flesh.

"Ewww...no thanks, mom," Ash replied with a wrinkled nose.

"You'll have to eat something, Ash. We still have a couple of hours before we land and we wouldn't want you to pass out on us due to hunger, now would we?" The pair were going to visit Ash's father in Sinnoh who was there for work. They were going to surprise him since his job didn't allow for him to visit them very often.

"I'll be fine mom. I'm full of energy!" To try to prove his point, he grinned as he struck a heroic pose.

Delia smiled fondly at him and ruffled his wild raven hair. "I can tell."

Ash leaned away from her hand and continued looking out the window. He fell into a trance as he mindlessly stared at the Sinnoh sky, gazing at the unfamiliar Flying-type Pokémon soaring freely through the air. Before he knew it, a couple of hours had already passed as the setting sun bathed the sky and clouds in a warm glow, contrasting with the freezing air outside. An announcement began over the plane, drawing his attention away from an ominous group of bird Pokémon flying nearby.

"Passengers, please know that we will be landing in roughly one hour. We thank you for choosing Region S Airlines, and we hope that we may serve you again in the future," said a man's voice over the speaker.

"We better put on our seat belts, Ash," Delia said as she put on her own. When she noticed Ash not paying attention, she pulled on his shoulder. "You okay, Ash?"

"...Mom, what are those things?" He asked as he pointed to a flock of black feathered bird Pokémon, with what looked like a dark hat on their heads. The one leading the flock seemed to have been much larger and more powerful. The leader had red feathers under its wings and some red at the tip of its tail.

"Not quite sure, honey. Although, they're probably native Sinnoh Pokémon," she replied, curious as to why the bird Pokémon were flying so dangerously close to the plane in the first place.

But then, it happened. Starting with the one leading the flock, the crow-like Pokémon gripped onto one of the wings of the plane and used their sharp talons and beaks to dig into it. Once the damage was done, the group separated. The leader flew up to the front of the plane while the others went to take out the remaining wing. As soon as the large Flying-type landed on the nose of the plane, it got to work. Its beak glowed before it drilled it into the glass of the plane, quickly making the pilots panic.

"Attention all passengers, the plane is under attack from a flock of Murkrows and a Honchkrow. Please everyone, we will send Pokémon to stop them, but we must have an emergen-"

Before the anxious announcer could finish, a loud explosion signified that another part of the plane had blown up. To confirm their suspicions, the plane fell off its designated path and began nosediving, quickly gaining momentum. The Pokémon that caused this hastily reformed their flying formation and flew away from the scene. Everyone on board was becoming nearly hysterical, and at the rate the plane was moving, it would hit a snow covered path somewhere in northern Sinnoh.

"Please, everyone calm down and hold on! We will attempt to land on Route 217. Please be ready to exit the air craft once we are down there! Do not stay inside once we land since the plane itself will be unsafe!" The attempt to calm the passengers was futile, as the young kids were asking their parents if everything was going to be okay, while the parents weren't so sure of what to say themselves. Eventually, the plane hit the ground hard. It met the snow and slid down the path as the injured wings along with the new damage from the crash sent smoke rising into the air above. Delia held onto Ash the entire time, trying to comfort her distraught boy.

A few minutes after the crash, Ash finally opened his eyes. He seemed to have been lucky, he thought to himself, as everyone else seemed to be asleep, or at least that's what a five-year-old boy thought they were. He slowly crawled out from a hole in the wall near him that was carved open from the crash. The first thing he felt as he stepped foot outside the destroyed aircraft was the raw temperature of the area, well below freezing. He looked back at the plane and he gasped as he saw the wreckage. Parts of it were flaming from the crash and multiple areas created a trail of smoke that flowed into the sky. The damage also revealed cut wires releasing hot sparks around them, forming thin pockets in the snow. Ash realized that during the crash he must have been knocked out of his seat and further back into the plane. He noticed that part of it was now buried deep into the snow...including where his mother had sat.

Sudden realization hit the boy, and he fell to his knees, tears freely flowing down his cheeks and onto his shivering fists. His mother was dead, along with all the others. He was the only survivor. A merciless explosion then occurred from the engine of the plane, startling Ash. He saw it engulf the aircraft inside a hideous flame; one that made sure he could not get close to his mother again.

The poor boy cried for what seemed to have been eternity before he gave in and dropped down onto the mocking snow, still curled up and trembling from the merciless cold which made his breathing come out in lifeless puffs. To add insult to his situation, the sky began to gently snow, painting the deaths of hundreds within beautiful and soft white flakes. He finally fell asleep as the snowflakes began to pile around him, stealing heat from his system. He thought that he would make it so that there would be no survivors at all.

* * *

Ash woke from the especially heavy slumber to rub at his eyes. As he slowly opened them, he was sure he had just had a nightmare about a plane crash, but it felt far too real to have been but a dream. As he stretched out his aching limbs, he felt jagged rocks digging into his back before sitting up and looking around.

He was in a room that appeared as if it was carved inside pure rock. He noticed small ledges on the wall that carried a faint ember on them. Dried grass seemed to be their bases, keeping the flames alive. This appeared to be the only form of light in the entire room, but it was sufficient enough. Ash then noticed an area of smooth sand on the floor rather than the usual rock on the other side of the moderately-sized room. The area of sand had some indentation, showing something was on it not too long ago.

As he looked beyond, he noticed a small exit that must have also served as the entrance seeing as how it was the only way to get in or out. It got darker further on, so Ash guessed that it must be a tunnel. Curiosity taking over, he decided to walk over to it.

He moved across the rocky ground and peered inside, noticing a faint light that the tunnel led to. Wherever he was, he sure didn't want to stay. Climbing over the small step into the tunnel, he began to crawl through on all fours.

But as he was halfway through it, he felt a small rumbling underneath him. The small rocks and pebbles in front of his face began to vibrate, and soon enough a crack appeared in the ground in front of him.

The figure that crawled out of the crack was a short Pokémon with an oversized mouth. Being mere inches from the dozens of teeth he saw the Pokémon have, he shrieked and hurriedly began to crawl backwards to get away from it. The creature followed him further back into the tunnel, causing Ash to scream even louder as it bit into his shirt. The Pokémon winced from the noises the squirming boy was making that was only amplified from being in such a confined space with him. It dragged Ash the rest of the way out of the tunnel, effortlessly ignoring the boy's attempt at struggling out of his mouth's grip. Ash tried to break free from its jaws, but it was no use. He watched the thing drag him by its teeth through many larger tunnels until they arrived at an entrance to a large room.

The Pokémon soon brought him inside and stopped in front of a menacing Dragon-type, sitting on something that resembled a throne. Ash remembered seeing this Pokémon from a magazine article featuring the strongest species from every region. _'What was its name again? Oh...right.'_ As Ash observed the fins on his arms, the dagger-like claws where human hands usually were, the scarred fin on its back, and the distinguishing jet engine-like horns on the side of its head, he remembered the Pokémon's name.

Garchomp. Able to fly at the speed of a jet and slash through solid stone just by using its claws, this Pokémon was not to be provoked in the wild.

However, Ash also saw two other Pokémon standing to the sides of it. One of whom Ash could distinguish since it was well known in Kanto, while the other Ash had no clue as to what it was, but he was sure of one thing: it was downright _scary._ The figure to the left of Garchomp was a yellow-scaled dragon Pokémon with tiny wings and a thick tail. Ash remembered seeing one when visiting Professor Oak's lab once, where he was told by the professor that it was a very powerful yet kindhearted being.

To Ash, the figure on the right was even more frightening than Garchomp if that was even possible. It consisted of mostly blue coloration with black fur on its arms and neck. It had magenta frills outlining its head and arms along with a large tail and stomach as a result of having an abundance to eat. But the most frightening feature was its extra heads instead of front claws as well as its six black wings! It seemed as though it was basically designed to scare young children.

Suddenly, the one who brought him here started to communicate with the Garchomp, seemingly explaining something. However, the Garchomp looked extremely surprised at what the other one was saying. Ash gulped as the Garchomp pointed at him with a single claw as the smaller Dragon-type began nudging him to move forward. Ash did so hesitantly since anyone, especially a small child, would be scared if they were basically defenseless against three fully evolved Dragon-types. He stood in front of the three as the Dragonite decided to move forward. The two antennae on its head glowed a majestic purple as Ash started to feel a slight pain in his mind. The Dragonite widened its eyes before turning to the other two Pokémon and giving a confirming nod, resulting in short-lasting expressions of disbelief from both. Before long, the Dragonite turned back to Ash and once again used its antennae, but this time he felt a different tug in his head. A few moments later, Ash accomplished something that no other human had managed to do on record.

He fully understood their speech.

"Hello there, young one. My name is Zarbon, and my fellow dragons in here are Fiona the Dragonite on my right, Lucius the Hydreigon on my left, and Zenith, my son who has brought you here before us." The Garchomp motioned to the respective dragons as he told their names. "We are of the Ice Drake bloodline, but we will not be surprised if you haven't heard of us, as knowledge of our existence are extremely limited. We are special Dragon-types who have a genetic ability to use ice and adapt to the cold. My son found you while hunting and decided to bring you back here to us." The dragon spoke in a voice full of authority and true confidence, though it had underlying animalistic vibrations and quirks to signify that it didn't originate from a human.

And Ash just stood there gaping at the dragon. How did a Pokémon just talk to him? He knew that it was impossible since not too long ago the Professor had explained that it was futile to try to fully understand Pokémon because they possessed a unique speech pattern unknown to humans.

"Um...how are you talking to me?" Ash said in a voice that was not even close to how strong the dragon's was, but was evidently more humane.

"Fiona has imprinted the ability to understand Pokémon speech into your mind. Her ancestors included powerful Psychic-types, and that has allowed her limited access to some psychic powers and abilities passed down to her, such as the one she used on you. Any more questions?" The Garchomp asked as he crossed his claws, the boy pausing before continuing on.

"Why'd you bring me here?" Ash asked once again in a meek voice, trying not to do anything that might provoke them.

The Garchomp smirked as if he had expected that question. "Good question, boy. This clan consists of special Dragon-types who have the Ice Drake genes running through their blood. We are no longer weak to Ice-type attacks and the cold, which allows us to thrive in freezing environments like the one right outside of the mountain we are in." Ash didn't really understand what this had to do with him, but Zarbon continued before he can ask further.

"How this concerns you is another story. Normally a Dragon-type with at least one parent that has the Ice Drake gene will be like any other of its species in its first stage of evolution, showing no significance or prowess. When they evolve into their second stage, however, they gain the ability to learn Ice-type attacks and take neutral damage from them. When a first stage Pokémon evolves into its second stage, its heart glows blue for about one day cycle, the glow gradually decreasing as time passes. The genes superpower our system during this period to ensure evolution is a success and to help adapt our bodies to handle learning Ice-type attacks. We are completely immune to damage from ice and the cold during this. And when my son found you...you had the same glow around your heart. The same glow that allowed you to survive the weather last night. The same glow that makes _you_ an Ice Drake. That is what makes you special. That is why you're here. Do you understand, child?" The Garchomp finished as he stared at Ash expectantly.

The speechless boy pulled at the collar of his striped yellow shirt and saw the blue glow coming from his heart. He looked back up at the mighty dragon and nodded his head, gulping as he did so.

"Good. You see, it's been a long-standing tradition to not allow humans to know of our existence. Since my son has brought you here, and especially now that I have explained to you the basics of our abilities, we cannot simply allow you to leave. We understand you are but a toddler, but _you_ must also understand how cautious we must be. So from now on you must stay here with us. Seeing as how you were found near a battle of some sort, I take it you can't really go back?" Zarbon would raise an eyebrow along with the question if he had one.

In a rush, Ash recalled the events from the other day. The flock of Murkrows, the dreaded Honchkrow, and the crash. He remembered his mother attempting to comfort him as everyone else panicked. He recalled her promise that he would be fine. And truthfully, he ended up alive. Alive, healthy, and unscathed. But it was only him, no one else from the plane lived. He remembered exiting the damned plane and how the fire had sealed the fate of the rest of the passengers, though most had probably already perished from the impact. He's alone now, left by himself in front of monsters that could tear him apart without even trying. As his thoughts moved towards his now deceased mother, he noticed tears dripping down from his nose. "I...I guess I can't go back."

A grunt came from the Dark-type in the room.

"...Humph, so pathetic," mumbled the Hydreigon, which earned a glare from the Dragonite.

Zarbon cleared his throat as to grab the attention of the other dragons. "I'll call a meeting when night comes. Zenith, he'll be staying in your room."

"Can't he stay somewhere else, father?" Zenith asked, not necessarily wanting to share his room with the newcomer.

"Seeing as how you have more than enough room to spare, he will be staying with you from now on." The Gible was about to retort when Zarbon glared at him, quickly making him shut his rather large mouth. "My words _are_ final." Zenith finally closed his eyes and nodded in submission. "Now, take the boy back to your room."

The Gible grabbed Ash and exited the area, going back to where they came from, leaving his father alone with the others.

When he was sure that the two of them were gone, Zarbon spoke up. "...Are you sure you checked correctly, Fiona?"

"Well, what else could that glow signify? He somehow does possess our bloodline and will eventually get all of what the bloodline can offer, even access to the 'modes'..." Before giving the boy the ability to understand Pokémon, she first checked if he actually had the Ice Drake bloodline in him. Much to her surprise, the boy did, just as Zarbon's son suspected he had.

"Very well. We will both treat and train him as one of our own. Hopefully, he'll be the change this corrupted world needs." Zarbon was familiar with the situation outside of where the Ice Drakes resided from the stories told by veteran Pokémon he encountered.

"Can we leave now, leader?" Lucius asked. The Dark-type was known to be both quite blunt and impatient.

"Yes, you may. Now leave me." And with that, both the Dragonite and Hydreigon left the chamber to leave Zarbon to his thoughts. Admittedly, he was curious to see how this boy would turn out once raised by dragons. Zarbon was sure that the child would eventually rejoin human society one day. Once he rejoins them, however, it will be up to him to decide how he uses his newfound powers. Will he use it for his own gain, like the greedy species was known for, or would he use it to protect those close to him and those that can't protect themselves? The dragon quickly stopped trying to predict the future, since he knew well that only time will tell.

* * *

Zenith walked beside Ash as the boy was now noticing all the tunnels they were moving through. The largest tunnel that seemed to act as the main one was well lit by the same embers he saw earlier in Zenith's room. He also spotted tunnels similar to the one that he had originally crawled through, though varying in size. He guessed that they were passageways leading to other dragon dens.

Before long, he noticed how the only ones currently using the tunnel system were him and his new roommate.

"Hey, um, Zenith. Why are we the only ones here right now?" Ash asked in a curious tone, no longer being observed by the terrifying Dragon-types earlier.

"That's because it's day time. The others are asleep right now since we are mostly active at night. I actually found you during my hunting trip last night in the snowstorm. You should be thankful that I'm staying up this late just for you." To accompany his statement, Zenith let out a loud yawn. Ash apologized about keeping him up, but Zenith waved it off since it wasn't in the boy's control in the first place.

"Once we get back I'll set up a sand bed for you to sleep. I'm still really tired from having to carry you all the way back here from that hunting patch. At least it was a good exercise," Zenith claimed with a small grin, which caused Ash to sheepishly smile. The two continued on for a few more minutes before they eventually reached the den. Ash had to wait a while more as Zenith expanded the entrance to allow Ash to walk through it rather than crawl. After all, he was a good foot taller than the Gible.

Once both were inside, Ash observed as Zenith used a Ground-type move to grind an area of hard rocks into soft sand. He laid down on it as Zenith moved to kill the embers on the wall before laying down on his own sand bed nearby. When the Pokémon was comfortable in his sand, however, he realized something. "Um...I just realized you never told me your name."

Ash realized that too before replying. "It's Ash Ketchum."

"Wow...never heard of that name before. I guess you're special in more ways than one." Zenith had only ever heard of common human names before from stories and old tales, so it was not a surprise for him to not have heard of an 'Ash'.

"...Just wondering, but why didn't you make me a sand bed like this earlier when you first put me here?"

Zenith chuckled in the pitch black room before responding. "Didn't think my old man would let you live." Ash sweat dropped at the response and decided it was best to go to sleep. Before long he entered a world of peaceful dreams, not mature enough yet to know how much this turn of events would change his fate.

* * *

 **Ash**

\- None

 **Zenith**

\- Dig

\- Sand Tomb

* * *

 **Author's Note: Please leave a review and tell me what you think or what I need to improve on. If you've read the original, tell me how I compare to before. Until next time...**


	2. How It All Started

**Legend of the Ice Drakes**

 **Chapter 2: How It All Started**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything it incorporates.**

"Speech."

 _'Thoughts.'_

* * *

As the sun finally set over Sinnoh, a stomping of feet awakened Ash. He groggily sat up on his sand bed in the dark as Zenith did the same.

"What is that?" He half-asked half-yawned as he stretched out his tired limbs. Who knew gaining a special ability that changes oneself from the inside-out would be so tiring?

"...Your new family members," Zenith replied while yawning, his mouth opening to the point where it encompassed his entire face. The dragon slowly stood up to light the embers on the wall, scratching the base with enough force to create sparks and ignite the grass.

Getting up, Ash sluggishly followed him out of their room and into the main tunnel, seeing the trail of dust the stampede had just left behind.

"Why are they all in a hurry?"

"They're probably headed off to the meeting my father said he would call," Zenith said as he fruitlessly tried to cover another yawn with his small paw. He started to follow them, though at a leisure pace. "Aren't you coming? It is going to be about you after all."

Ash nodded as he began to follow. He wondered what they would talk about as he tried to avoid stepping on sharp rocks that were kicked loose on the ground by the stampede from earlier. Before long, both of them managed to follow the trail through the tunnels to an immense room that Zenith recognized as the Meeting Room.

Pokémon of all shapes and sizes sat on the rocky floor inside the room in a semi-circle. They were all murmuring with one another, curious as to what this meeting was going to be about. Ash and Zenith sat in the very back, whatever noises they could have made was drowned out by the rest of the crowd. As Ash looked past the dragons in front of him, he noticed that they were all facing Zenith's father.

Zarbon scanned through the crowd to make sure the majority of Ice Drakes who were able to come were present. _'This meeting is sure going to be a controversial one...'_

Before beginning his speech, he cleared his voice loudly, gaining the attention of every dragon due to the unexpectedly loud rumbles the action created. Sensing the silence that took over the crowd as a welcoming to talk, he began.

"I have called this emergency meeting for a very important reason... Last night, my son managed to find and bring back a human boy who was proven to be able to unlock our bloodline. We wi-" His speech was cut off by gasps and murmurs from the crowd. He witnessed many dragons asking their neighbors whether or not he was joking while others were too shocked to speak. The only members of the crowd that didn't have a reaction were those who knew of the situation, including Ash himself.

Annoyed from the interruption, Garchomp glared at the audience. Concluding to himself that the noise was not going to subside anytime soon, he had to be the one to stop it. The Roar he emanated then easily drowned out any and all conversations the Pokémon in attendance could have had, and refreshed their mind on just _why_ he became their leader in the first place. He cleared his voice once more before he continued, though with obvious annoyance in his tone. "As I was saying...the boy will be staying with us from now on since we simply cannot let him leave." Sounds spread through the crowd again, though at a much quieter level this time.

"Did I hear him right?"

"This is unbelievable!"

"Isn't one of the biggest rules we follow is to avoid humans at all costs? Now we're going to live with one? What's going on?"

"Grrr...I hope he's not dangerous, 'cause if he is-"

"Have they gone mad?!"

Harsh whispers based on the boy spread through the crowd like a virus. Eventually, some wandering eyes managed to spot Ash near the very back next to their leader's only son. An anonymous voice then called out. "There he is!"

Everyone's attention was soon all focused on Ash thanks to the cry. Their faces pinned on the boy varied from genuine curiosity to almost unjustified hatred. His knees began to shake under their stares.

"Come here, young one," said Zarbon, who noticed Ash's presence as almost the entire crowd turned towards the outsider.

Ash gulped before reluctantly walking through the path the dragons were signaled to make for him. He was sure he felt a claw or two poke him at one point along the way. Once he was in front of Zarbon, the dragon gestured for him to turn around and face the others. He complied, but soon regretted it as nervousness took over his body from the numerous pairs of eyes burning into him.

"This boy will live with us from now on, and shall be both taught and treated as our own. I expect you to welcome him into our family." More gained curious looks on their faces while others kept up their glares, though none argued against the powerful Garchomp.

"He will be sharing a den with my son, but will be spending most of his time elsewhere. Any questions?" For the first few moments, the crowd kept silent. But one made his question known.

"...Why can't we just kill him?"

The dragons all turned to the one who stood out through the crowd. The one they were now facing was a two-headed dark-colored Pokémon. He showed no nervousness in front of the menacing Garchomp, but what was even stranger...no emotions at all.

Zarbon easily recognized the dragon as the unofficial emo of the Ice Drakes. Ever since an incident at a young age, the boy has been never seen showing any emotion or sympathy in public. Though the ones in charge of the Nursery have often tried to bond with him, the two-headed Pokémon always ignored and refused their help.

Zarbon narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"...Why let him live? He's a human..." This time the other head spoke, though with a voice just as emotionless as the other.

Other Ice Drakes in the vicinity began to think about his statement as the crowd began to split into either letting the seemingly harmless boy stay or just getting rid of the human here and now.

The Garchomp answered with an unnoticed smirk. "Why? Because he's family."

And everyone's thoughts paused at the answer given.

The Zweilous hid his surprise well, like he had done his whole life. "He's a stranger/ ...We don't know him/ And we certainly don't tolerate his kind." The heads spoke in turn, those closer to the Dark-type hearing low hisses starting to emerge underneath his words.

"He's an Ice Drake." The Garchomp's claim of the boy being family followed up by this was almost an instant victory.

The Pokémon in attendance recalled the one thing that was consistently pounded into their minds since their own time in the Nursery:

 _'All Ice Drakes are family.'_

This phrase was meant to make sure everyone treated others equally here, since the more powerful species could easily overwhelm and overtake the weaker ones. It also only makes sense that they all shared a common ancestor due to having similar genetics.

Though the phrase was never intended for a situation involving a human, most of the crowd seemed to now take a more neutral stance towards Ash; or at least stopped glaring daggers into the boy, which he was undoubtedly thankful for.

"He's a human/ They aren't family," claimed the Dark-type.

"Yet he's also an Ice Drake. He will live here whether you like it or not. No more questions!" The Garchomp didn't expect someone to blatantly suggest this boy's death, causing him to be a bit more aggressive since one actually did so.

The Zweilous recoiled a bit from the response, and seemed to mumble something under his breath. He hunched his heads over as he slowly turned and trudged back to his spot in the crowd, knowing that trying to talk more against Zarbon wouldn't help. If one would look closely at his shadowed faces, they would see both trying to suppress a scowl. _'Letting a human in...fools!/ One day you'll regret not killing him...'_

After the Pokémon returned to his seat in the crowd, Zarbon prepared to end the meeting. "That's all I had to say. I expect no one to change their behavior towards this boy. You are dismissed!" And with that, most of the crowd began their way back to their dens to prepare for the hunt. However, none left without first stealing a glance at their new clanmate.

Ash watched as the dragons left, leaving him with Zenith and Zarbon.

"What is wrong with that child?" muttered the Garchomp as he leered in the direction the Zweilous had left in, though only loud enough to get the attention of his son and the human boy.

Zarbon turned to face his son. "Take him to the back room of the Nursery and ask for Fiona. I've already told her what to do." With a quick nod, Zenith raced up to Ash and pulled him out of the Meeting Room and back into the main tunnel. He began waddling towards the Nursery as Ash followed him a few steps behind. Not much later, Ash decided to strike up a conversation, curious of the other places he has not been to yet.

"Hey, Zenith, what's the Nursery?" the boy asked as he began staring in awe at the massive walls of the main tunnel. The sheer size of the tunnel must have taken a great amount of effort to make. Though the walls and ceiling were mainly smoothed out, some areas showed burns, cracks, and even claw marks, showing what amount of physical work was needed.

"Oh yeah, that's where all the baby Pokémon go. They get to run, play, eat, and sleep all night. You're probably going to join them," the Gible responded.

Like all boys fresh out of the baby stage, Ash's face was red in denial and embarrassment from what Zenith said. "I-I'm not a baby!"

The Dragon-type smirked at how easy this kid was to frustrate. "Well then, I guess my dad just thinks you're a baby. Want to argue with him like the other guy did back there?"

Ash quickly looked away, though with a red tint still on the marks on his cheeks. A few minutes passed before the two finally made it to the entrance of the Nursery.

"C'mon, let's go!" Zenith grabbed the boy by his shirt as he descended the steps into one of the largest rooms they have.

Ash gaped as he saw young Pokémon of many different species flying, digging, running, clawing, and even fighting all around him. He had to try his best to avoid many bodies and careless attacks as he was pulled by the Gible throughout the entire length of the area. Many glances and looks came his way from the baby Pokémon, none having seen nor even heard of a human yet.

Eventually, after making their way to the end of the Nursery, which Ash had to admit was quite large, the two suddenly stopped as they saw two Pokémon guarding the door they were told to go through. They looked closer to recognize that the guards weren't just ordinary Pokémon, they were two intimidating and obviously powerful Dragonites. The Gible gulped at the sight of the dragons before gaining his courage to step forward.

Like their job intended for them to, the two yellow Dragon-types glared at the baby Pokémon to intimidate him away from the Hatchery. "U-um...you wouldn't happen to know where Fiona is, do you?" The highly-outmatched first-evolution tried to remain calm in front of the two larger dragons leering down on him, though the stutter in his voice was evident. The Dragonites looked at one another before realizing who must have sent this Gible to them. Making a small gap for him to enter, the two opened the door behind them and gestured for him to go inside.

Zenith hurriedly charged into the room, trying to get as far away from the two guards as possible while leaving Ash still in his original spot. The boy tried to rush through along with Zenith, but was quickly blocked by one of the Dragonite's tails before the door was closed. He looked up reluctantly to see the two dragons shaking their heads, not surprised by the human's presence since other dragons who went to the meeting had notified them of it. They only knew that detail from the meeting since not much else was told to them except to not harm the boy. They denied him entrance since no order had been given to them regarding him. For all they knew, he might have wanted to harm the eggs.

Once that thought crossed the dragons' minds, they lit their eyes up at the boy, causing him to stumble a few steps away. Not harm the kid, sure. But nothing was said about not intimidating him. The Dragonites closed the space between them, preventing even the smallest Pokémon from entering. What they didn't expect was for the two of them to almost fall backwards as the door was pulled open from the inside.

"Oh, Ash, please come in." The owner of the voice saw the boy past the two Dragonites.

Ash saw the two Pokémon embarrassingly try to recover and play it off, leaving a gap between them to the open door.

The previously intimidated boy rushed past the legs of the beasts and into the room, not noticing the owner of the voice.

Only then, inside the room, was he bombarded with a sight that no human could ever picture, not even the famous Pokémon professors themselves.

For decades researchers and Pokémon professors have developed many theories when it comes to Pokémon breeding, specifically, the results of said act in the form of eggs. The two most accepted theories on this topic stated that either the mother of the egg protects it until it hatches or it is completely abandoned once laid. Since for some reason Pokémon refuse to show their breeding and egg-laying habits under human speculation, the only choice was to make guesses on their natural behavior. However, not one guess, even those thought up by famed professors after their years of research and experience, has ever come close to what Ash was witnessing right now.

Everywhere he turned, eggs were neatly stored there. Gorgeous eggs of intricate patterns and color morphs lined the room with adult Pokémon carefully surveying and caring for each and every one of them. All the eggs had a unique design, none with the same pattern nor color. Some were of different sizes and had varied levels of movement inside, which was understandable due to the variety of Ice Drake species and when the eggs themselves were laid. All of the ones in the room represented both the next generation of Ice Drakes and a system of egg storage and care, refuting all known theories on how the process worked.

"Over here, Ash!"

The boy struck out of his trance of admiring the eggs as he heard Zenith's call. Turning to the source, he saw said Pokémon standing next to yet another one of those Kanto-native dragons. _'Hey...isn't that the same Dragoni-_

"Greetings once again, child. My name is Fiona, the same Dragonite from the day before. I do hope you remember me." The Dragonite said this with a welcoming attitude and smile, contrasting with the other Dragonites at the gate.

Ash nodded his head, recalling her as the one who presumably gave him the ability to comprehend Pokémon speech. "Very good. Right now, we are in the Hatchery, where I work alongside others to make sure our next generation hatch out safely. Where you entered from was the Nursery, where the hatched baby Pokémon are raised..."

Ash nodded subconsciously as she explained this to him, trying his best to store the information.

"...it is also where you'll be spending your time until further notice."

* * *

 **Ash**

\- None

 **Zenith**

\- Dig

\- Sand Tomb

* * *

 **Author's Note: Not going to lie, the writer's block on this one almost physically hurt. Anyways, I've mapped out a large portion of the story post-nursery so I just need to get through writing this beginning (Hopefully that doesn't kill me). Some of you may notice the new story description/type of story in general, and yes it will be a harem (albeit a small one). Until next time!**


	3. The Nursery

**Legend of the Ice Drakes**

 **Chapter 3: The Nursery**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything that it incorporates.**

"Speech."

 _'Thoughts.'_

* * *

The claw nearly hit its target, the intended victim recoiling before the attack could land. The young members of the surrounding crowd widened their eyes and became even louder, each calling out the name of the contender they supported as they crawled over one another to find a better place to view the fight.

It was once again time for the participants' weekly spar. This one was of utmost importance, marking exactly one year since Ash had joined the Nursery. They continued to trade blows, both trying to brutally overpower the other. The human boy's body systems had been developing in overdrive for the past twelve months, allowing him to be able to hold his own against dragons meant for battle. Ever since it became clear that Ash was growing stronger, Zenith had developed a rivalry with his roommate, visiting him in the Nursery to spar on his day off every week. However, combat was not necessarily uncommon in there due to the innate urge of the room's young Pokémon residents to chase, run, play, and fight.

There was no time for Ash to rest after dodging that last hit. As he began to try to regain his balance, his feet started to sink as the ground beneath him was ground into course sand. Zenith took this as a sign to attack seeing that his move was successful. The Land Shark Pokémon charged forward, his right claw glowing as he angled it back in preparation for Slash.

Wincing at the memory of the scar on his side as a result of the last time he was hit by that move, Ash spun in place as he redirected his opponent, using the Pokémon's own momentum in throwing him. The following collision with the ground forced Zenith to cancel Sand Tomb.

It didn't take too long for the Pokémon to recover soon after the throw. Although tired at this point into the match, he forced power into both of his claws as they glowed a deep blue before turning towards the panting boy. Once eye contact was made, a small smirk found its way onto Zenith's face, eliciting a similar expression on Ash's.

 _'A test of power then, huh? Okay...Ice Punch!'_ Icy blue auras developed around Ash's forearms and fists, drawing the attention of the crowd as he ran forward with his arms at his sides at a speed of a sprinter. He coiled them back in preparation for the collision with Zenith's Dragon Claws, the act resulting in a standstill. Both kept trying desperately to push the other back, but as soon as it seemed as though one of them was about to win, the other would somehow manage to barely hang on.

"Just...give...up!" Zenith called between heavy breaths, frustrated yet inwardly proud of his roommate.

"How...could I?" All of the Ice Drakes knew of his determination at this point, he made sure of that. Although he stood out from the rest just by being human, he was often discriminated against by some members of the clan for the very same reason. He wanted them to see that he was truly a member too, one worthy of respect. His desire for recognition was fueled even more so by the Ice Drake blood gushing inside of him.

He reeled his entire body back before finding enough strength within to punt Zenith away. Taking a deep breath, his lungs became enlarged before violently unleashing dark pieces of raw energy upon his opponent. They were imbued within his body prelaunch, the attack being full of fury and rage. The hits that managed to land on the evading Pokémon were enough to knock him down. Ash grinned widely at his work, having learned the move on his own a few days ago after seeing a clanmate perform it.

 _'Since when does he know Dragon Rage? He's going to beat all of us at this rate...'_ Zenith found himself struggling to stand from the fresh burns on his back, wincing as he tried. He was pulled up not long after. He knew he'd lost.

"That was a close fight! I'm getting stronger, aren't I?" The innocent and hopeful look on the boisterous boy's face contrasted heavily with his behavior in the spar just now. The Gible grinned back at him as he let Ash help guide him towards the Infirmary.

"You're still the same kid I found in the snow a year ago." Teasing him would make Zenith feel a bit better after losing. _Just a bit._

"Am not!" Ash glared at his friend, for how dare he not notice how much he's improved!

"Think whatever makes you happy, Ashy-boy."

And for some damn reason he hated that nickname.

* * *

"They've become quite strong, haven't they?" asked Fiona, looking at the exit that the pair had just taken. "Even with our blood within them, they've been progressing astonishingly. Zenith has only benefited from the competitive nature of their friendship and Ash's improvement from the first year alone is more than I can say about the rest of the Nursery. It's almost like they became brothers to one another. I'm not sure if this will continue at the current rate, however."

The figure next to her waited a few moments before replying. "We've barely seen the surface of Zenith's potential. I have no doubt that he'll grow even stronger than me one day. But I am also thankful for his change in attitude, it appears as if he has found a companion to confide to. Being my son has probably isolated him from the rest as a consequence of his role, but having another anomaly in here should help." He paused and took a deep breath, knowing that the human child was improving at an even faster rate than his son. "...Maybe the boy's ready to venture outside again." The neighboring dragon turned towards him, a hesitant look on her face.

"...Will you tell your son to take him out on a hunt?" A slight nod was the response she got from the stoic figure.

The Garchomp got off from his position against the wall of the Nursery shortly after, straightening his posture before heading towards the main exit.

* * *

Ash walked behind his roommate on their way towards the Dining Den, an apologetic look on his face as he saw the marks left by his Dragon Rage earlier. "You sure you don't want any more treatment? I can head back and-"

"Don't bother. I'm fine, really." Ash didn't know if he was just acting tough because he was Zarbon's son or not. The two did eventually make it to the large, and unsurprisingly loud, dining room. They walked inside, where Pokémon were feasting on the earnings from the hunt a few days ago. Drool came from Zenith's gaping mouth at the sight of piles of food, and some came from Ash's too. In the course of a year, he had changed both physically and mentally. What used to disgust him is now just second nature. After all, it wasn't as if he could meet his needs on just frozen plants and berries when juicy meat and bones were practically begging him to eat them. They sat themselves down next to one another at an empty table carved using the same techniques as the tunnels. Ash stayed as Zenith went to one of the food piles to get both of their rations.

The year went by so fast in his eyes. To him, he was still the same kid from the crash, as normal as ever. To an onlooker, however, he was drastically different. He had much more muscle mass than a normal six-year-old, also managing to keep lean. His mentality was closer to that of a Pokémon as it was centralized around survival and natural instinct. His hair was allowed to grow out and run wild across his bare chest, having forgone his shirt long ago. He was a wild animal when it came to human standards. But when looked at by a nonjudgmental eye, it can be seen that he was now a warrior, strong enough to fend for himself with enough strength to provide for others. He slowly met the criteria of an ideal Pokémon.

His reminiscence of his time at the Nursery came to a screeching halt as he saw the giant plates of food being carried towards his table. Since Fiona was one of the few members of the clan who cared for him like he was her own child, she made sure that the dragons who prepared the food smoked his on a flame first in consideration for his digestive system. Consequently, the meats smelled considerably better to him as they were brought to the table.

Ash licked his lips at the sight of the juices oozing from the fatty Swinub-chops. "H-how long has it been since we had fresh Swinub? Three months? Four?!" The Pokémon was not too common, even within its natural range.

Zenith smiled at how Ash's eager eyes were locked onto the plates as he slowly and teasingly placed them on the table. He pulled Ash's plate back before he could snatch it, causing the boy to gape indignantly at him. "Know your manners, Ash," said Zenith as he finally relented and passed the plate across. At that moment, watching the boy eat was like feeding a starving Gyarados. The entire mountain of food on the plate seemingly vanished into the infinite abyss that is Ash Ketchum's stomach within seconds. _'The looks of a human, the blood of dragons, and the stomach of a Snorlax. What an utterly terrifying combination...'_

The Gible couldn't help but snicker as the boy across from him wiped the food from his lips.

* * *

Ash trudged back to his room with his hand on his now-rumbling stomach. _'Maybe swallowing down half a Swinub wasn't such a good idea...'_

Zenith had been called on earlier to the Meeting Room after they had eaten, making Ash walk back to their shared room alone. He would've been lost in the tunnels if he was by himself when he had first arrived here, but by now he'd memorized them all. Since they were one of the last ones to eat in the Dining Den, Ash was now walking back in a seemingly empty main tunnel.

But for the second time that day, he was engaged in battle.

Ash ducked and rolled under the Dragon Pulse aimed at his back, coming to a stop before turning to face his attacker who dashed to reposition too fast for him to get a good look at. Without warning, freezing gusts of wind were sent his way, causing him to shiver under the pressure.

"Interesting.../I'd expected you to have been taken down from the first hit." Ash hadn't heard from these voices in a long time, but he knew without a doubt who they belonged to.

It was the same dragon who'd suggested for his death during the meeting when he was introduced to the rest of the clan a year ago. He later found out that his name was Kei, also being a relative of Lucius.

Seeing a pitch black sphere of energy generating between the two heads, Ash prepared his own attack. Taking a deep breath, he launched a Dragon Rage straight at him, which was canceled out by the emission of dark energy.

 _'It's as strong as my Dark Pulse/ So the rumors are true...'_

Ash waited for the dragon's next sign of attack so that he could counter with his own. But before anything else could happen, a fast blue blur tackled the Zweilous into the wall. Zenith glared at who he had just sent crashing into the tunnel wall with Take Down.

"Pick on someone your own size, buddy!" It was obvious that Zenith ignored the fact that Ash was more than a foot taller than him by now.

The Gible's roommate rushed to stand next to him as they both faced Kei who shook off the damage he had taken from the impact. The emotionless two-headed Dragon-type stared blankly back at them, causing Zenith and Ash to tense up. "I was only testing if all the talk about his progress was true/ I heard that he beat you in a spar, son of Zarbon." He stretched out his two wings that had taken the most damage from the collision with the wall. "I can understand how/ That Take Down was weak."

Zenith bared his teeth at the one who had not only assaulted his friend, but _insulted_ _him_. "Just who do you-"

"I'm leaving to my own quarters/ Have a nice day." Kei slowly began to walk towards a side tunnel that would lead him to his own quarters. _'To think that he's gotten that strong/ He's going to kill all of us at this rate...'_ The dragon began to grind his teeth as he walked out, furious at the leaders for letting such a threat stay. Humans were not to be trusted, _never again_ to be trusted. He'd learn that the hard way before.

"He still has it out for me I guess..." Ash said as he tried to give Zenith a sheepish grin, but his frustrated roommate knew that it was fake. They'd come to know each other much better over the last year. Ash got a fake glare back in response, since the Gible knew of the boy's forgiving nature.

"Don't ever let your guard down, Ash. It'll be the end of you." Zenith gestured towards the direction of their room before the two began to walk there once again. "There's something my father wanted me to tell you, Ashy-boy."

"What is it?" he asked as he gave Zenith a questioning look.

"You'll be-"

"And can you please stop calling me that!" To Ash, the nickname took priority over the other matter.

Zenith cleared his throat, much like his father does. "As I was saying, you'll be joining me on my next hunt. He said something about you experiencing the world again, or something like that." He continued to walk on ahead, ignorant of the fact that Ash had stopped.

"So...I'm going outside again..." He was never able to forget about the accident, no matter how much he tried. His love for his own mother wouldn't allow him to abandon the memory so easily.

"Yeah, Ash...

The outside."

* * *

 **Ash**

\- Dragon Rage

\- Ice Punch

 **Zenith**

\- Dig

\- Dragon Claw

\- Sand Tomb

\- Slash

\- Take Down

* * *

 **Author's Note: Been a while, eh?**


	4. Old Memories Die Hard

**Legend of the Ice Drakes**

 **Chapter 4: Old Memories Die Hard**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything that it incorporates.**

 **Author's Note: Just in case anyone was curious, Ash and Cynthia will probably be the main pairing. Mostly because in my eyes, her taste is in strong men. And she's hot. And you better bet that my Ash Ketchum is going to be more than enough to suit her needs.**

"Speech."

 _'Thoughts.'_

* * *

Gentle white sparkles danced around in the untamed winds flying past the group. It was the middle of the night, with the only things visible to the human eye being the faraway moon and stars. The _normal_ human eye, that is.

Ash may have been considered normal a year ago, but not anymore. He squinted his eyes to block out the wind and to keen in on any movement outside of the hunting group he was in. He was accompanied mainly by second stage Pokémon whom he had never met before due to spending the majority of his time with dragons too young to hunt just yet. The group was then split apart into smaller pairs and trios to cover more ground and increase their chances of success.

Unsurprisingly, Ash and Zenith ended up being a pair. They had learned to cooperate well together throughout the past year, and Zenith was the best option to introduce Ash to hunting. The sport was vital to supply the clan with enough food to thrive and grow, placing it as an activity of great importance. The two stalked through the freshly snowed ground side-by-side, maneuvering through frozen brushes and trees as they each looked in different directions into the snowy gales. The Gible's keen eyes allowed him to spot a series of small movements in the shrubs meters away, turning to Ash and saying something before stalking towards that very direction. The boy could just barely hear him say "Leave it to me," the sounds nearly drowned out by the harsh snowstorm they were in. He watched as his roommate's figure slowly vanished, leaving him by himself to find his own prey.

A few minutes later he managed to see something. Silently stalking towards it, he made it close enough to observe its form. It was a thin black Pokémon, seemingly quick and nimble. He easily recognized it as a Sneasel before it somehow spotted him, fleeing in the opposite direction as fast as it could. Refusing to let his target run away, he quickly got up and sprinted after his fleeing prey.

* * *

Ash could tell it was nearly panicking, most likely running towards the only place it knew. It dove into a crevice under the snow, meaning that he had to have followed it back to its lair. Stepping inside, he noticed that there was something eerily familiar about the new atmosphere he found himself being suffocated by, the cavern walls resembling man-made materials.

 _"...Don't worry, Ash. We're going to be fine."_

And that was the last thing he remembered about that accursed incident. He hadn't heard her voice in a year, but he was still able to envision her face clearly as day in his head. Looking around, he could see frozen cut wires with ice trapped within, the same wires that had once sent flaming sparks into the soft patches of snow around them.

Smoke, fire, crashing, and crows.

He slowly remembered the flock that had attacked the plane he was in, the plane his _mother_ was in. The crows who had sent them crashing into Route 217, with the resulting flames and smoke engulfing the entire aircraft, leaving him as the lone survivor to be separated from the rest of civilization. His fists tightened without warning, and tears threatened to form at the corner of his eyes.

Maternal love was something he lived without for a year. He had already convinced himself that he'd come to terms with what had happened, but visiting the scene again made it clear to him that old memories die hard.

He unknowingly fell to his knees. Uncontrollable human sobs came from within him, a sight no one in the clan had yet to see since he first arrived. At this point, he had forgotten all about his prey, not paying any attention to his vulnerability.

But the prey hadn't forgotten about him. It cautiously stepped forward, an innocent look on its face. It observed the violent tears rushing down his cheeks as his chest shook and throbbed, painful breaths coming out. _'He's nothing but a human child...'_

The Sneasel carefully took the hunter's soft chin with the tip of its left claw, lifting his head up, revealing swollen red eyes and creased cheek marks. It had to make sure that its features did not appear intimidating or else the move it had planned would fail. Honestly, the Sneasel would've felt sympathy for him if he hadn't tried to hunt it down. And as such, its hidden right claw was pointed towards the boy's neck, pointed and ready to kill.

Just as the Feint Attack was about to successfully land, the Sneasel was harshly tackled down. The new entity in the room was much stronger than the skinny Dark-type was and was able to forcibly pin it down on the ground to attack. Soon after, it was ruthlessly torn apart and clobbered by the crazed being even as it struggled, its body left beyond recognition from the relentless attack.

Zenith stood up from the dead body of the pesky Sneasel he had just finished off with Rock Smash as he felt the need to intervene after seeing Ash to have somehow fallen for Feint Attack. He began to jokingly talk as he walked closer to the kneeling boy, saying "You still have a lot to learn if you're fooled so easily, Ash. I didn't expect for you to have lost to a Snea-"

The broken expression on his face made Zenith stop in his tracks. Ash's breathing was ragged and unrestrained, almost as if he was being choked. Zenith looked around at where they were, sudden realization coming to his head as he began to pity his traumatized roommate. _'So this was where you lost it all...'_

Zenith walked towards his side and pulled him up, letting Ash lean on him for support. Slowly, he helped guide the boy out of the destroyed plane and back towards the rest of the group.

Ash steadily managed to regain his sanity as he was dragged by his friend away from the crash site. His will made it so that the memories that had been uncovered soon became but a dull pain in the back of his mind. He noticed a pile of Snorunts haphazardly stacked on the ground nearby, and carefully pushed himself off of the reluctant Gible to head towards it out of instinct. They must have been the ones Zenith successfully left and hunted for earlier, and Ash didn't want to see his friend's effort go to waste even in his current condition. He began to help the dragon carry his earnings, insisting that he was now fine as Zenith knowingly gave him his space.

* * *

The two returned to their shared room from the hunt. Ash slowly laid down on his sand bed as Zenith eyed him while lighting the embers on the walls, trying to determine how stable his condition was. The growing fiery orange glow bathed Ash's form in light and warmth in the normally pitch black den. They had already handed in the pack of Snorunts to be preserved in the storage room alongside the other dragons and their captures from the hunting trip. The food would soon be transferred out in portions at a time, cleaned, and appropriately cut before being served to the Ice Drakes that week.

Ten agonizing minutes passed before the first words were uttered by the dragon in the room. He knew that he had to be careful or else he might unknowingly trigger another breakdown. "...If it makes you feel any better, my father told me something else yesterday, too. It looks as though you're ready to get started on some real training, Ash." The words were enough to make Ash lazily roll around to face Zenith, curious of what he had just said.

"Training? What do you mean, training?" He partly covered his eyes to shield them from the ember's shine that bent around the dragon's body.

"I mean that starting tomorrow you're going to leave the Nursery to get someone to teach you how to _really_ fight. You won't have to learn anything else from watching babies mess around in the dirt anymore." The thought of getting stronger managed to make Ash smile a bit, a feature the Gible thought should always belong on the lively boy's face.

The son of Zarbon gladly grinned back, relieved of the overbearing tension that previously occupied the room. They both eventually snuggled down into their respective beds soon after their short conversation ended, with one of them mentally and the other physically drained from the night they just experienced. Their exchange of words did manage to leave Ash excited for what was to come of him in the future, inwardly berating himself for his weakness earlier. This only served to motivate him further in wanting to grow into a powerful being, to prove himself as an elite Ice Drake. Before he fell completely asleep, he swore that he would find the most powerful trainer available to teach him the art of true combat.

* * *

Zenith and Ash once again were walking through the main tunnel, this time able to see a wide range of Dragon-type Pokémon beginning their nights. The Gible was only supposed to guide him there, or so Ash had believed. Along the way there were a variety of species all coexisting in the tunnel, including Deinos, Vibravae, Gabites, and even Dragonites. They each filled their own purpose in society, whether it was to grow into the next generation of Ice Drakes or to work and support the current one. Either way, they all were able to prove themselves as being important members of the clan of dragons.

Zenith came to a halt in front of the large entry door to the Combat Room guarded by an elderly Garchomp. The fully evolved Pokémon had already been informed of the situation by a young messenger, a Gabite if he'd remembered correctly, sent by their leader, as he opened the door and stepped back to gesture for the two boys to enter. He told them that the one they were seeking was waiting for them in the middle combat ring.

Goliath shards of ice were thrown around as feared beings of legend were smashed into walls by their opponents, teeth and claws being buried savagely into bloody, armor-like scales. Almost all of the room's occupants were scarred, bruised, burnt, or frozen in some way as they continued to wage war in the rings. Ash and Zenith sweat dropped as bodies were flung over their heads as some fights were even taking place above ground. The two slowly made their way towards the middle of the giant room carved out from inside the mountain the Ice Drakes resided in, stopping once they met the greenish-yellow back of a tall Dragon-type.

The muscular beast turned around, revealing sharp red and black tusks on a scarred body. The marks and unhealed dents on his skin could only hint as to what battles he must have fought and lived through. Without delay, the Haxorus started to eye them up and down, almost as if he was able to judge their worth and potential by doing so. His red eyes finally landed on the nervous stares of the severely outmatched human boy and Gible as he thought of a way for them to show what they already knew. In a voice of authority, he spoke.

"I didn't tell you two to meet me in a ring for no good reason. Boy," Ash stiffened at his mention, "and son of Zarbon," Zenith straightened his posture as well, "go ahead and fight one another with everything you've got. I want to see what I have to work with before we begin your training." The two youngins gradually eyed one another, one smirking as he wriggled his claws as the other raised a curious eyebrow.

"You're joining me?" Ash asked.

"More like _you're_ joining _me_. I'm supposed to train to be the leader one day, my dad only put you in for fun." The statement's explanation of Zarbon's reasoning wasn't exactly true, but it fulfilled its purpose anyways as a tiny tick mark formed on Ash's forehead. "Besiiiiides, it wasn't as if you could get rid of your best bud that easily." The cocky look on Gible's face as he joked around made Ash grin against his will. The two got into their stances in preparation to fight.

Ruthless energy was formed as Zenith's body tightened in preparation to charge while icy auras manifested around Ash's forearms and fists. A curious crowd had gathered around the ring at this point, wanting to observe the quarrel between the two newest members. In nearly an instant, the Take Down collided with both Ice Punches at the center, consequently resulting in a thick cloud of dust to form around them as the two forces met. Hunter gave a pleased smirk as he saw them exchange blows after blows even in the tainted air, marveling at their strength and speed. He envisioned them as two rivaling dragons trying to take each other's lives, yet he could see that they could effortlessly team up to become undefeatable in the not-so-distant future, their movements able to merge and synchronize.

 _'So he decided to send me his own son and the boy from the crash, both appearing to be natural-born fighters. They have a far way to go, but with their level of potential it's difficult to imagine just how strong they'll become and how little time they'll need to do so. His son shows as much potential as he did when he was but a Gible, but the human boy is something else entirely. He seems especially talented, a prodigy as proven by the progression rate I've been told about but also obviously humble, an impressive combination indeed. Maybe this is going to be worth it for me coming out of retirement like Zarbon had promised. But what does that brat know? He's still the rowdy kid I taught all those years ago...'_

* * *

 **Ash**

\- Dragon Rage

\- Ice Punch

 **Zenith**

\- Dig

\- Dragon Claw

\- Rock Smash

\- Sand Tomb

\- Slash

\- Take Down

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'm trying my best to get to the part when Ash finally leaves to go on his much-anticipated journey, however writing takes much more time than I thought it would, and rushing too fast would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Another thing to add is that age is going to be different for some characters as I find that ten is far too young to be going into dark alleys, forests, and caves alone as one travels across an entire region. These changes will also conveniently make it easier for yours truly to set Cynthia and Ash up ;D**

 **See y'all next time!**


End file.
